Today we’d like to introduce you to Linda Haga.
Hi Linda, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My experience with Bowenwork began during recovery from severe sciatic pain and a herniated disc in my lower back. A friend referred me to a practitioner in Portland who did this “strange” technique, and I was willing to try anything to avoid surgery! It was different, very little touch, no typical adjustments to the bones, just gentle touch with rest periods in between to allow my nervous system to facilitate healing. It was fascinating!
At the same time, I was transitioning from 13 years of full time ministry work and unsure of my life’s direction. Prior to being a minister, I had been a commercial pilot for a small commuter airline in Alaska. The natural course seemed to be returning to aviation, so I went on to earn my bachelor’s degree in Aeronautics from Embry Riddle. Yet, throughout my schooling, there was this pull to run my own business, one that helped people directly. Also at that time, the therapist who helped me heal was offering a training course through the American Bowen Academy to become a certified Bowenwork practitioner and I signed up immediately! I wanted others to enjoy the same pain relief I had experienced. Now my bachelor’s degree hangs proudly in my office as my most expensive piece of artwork!
At 52 years old, I was redesigning my entire life. I began dating a man from Coos Bay who I eventually married. My thought was that Bowenwork was a skill I could take anywhere. There was nothing like this yet in Coos Bay and I was very happy to offer something unique and effective!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The rural community of Coos Bay/ North Bend wasn’t quite as ready for such a unique, alternative therapy as I was. It took some advertising and a lot of educating for business to grow, but eventually as people experienced positive results, word spread and so did my clientele. Almost 11 years down the road, the community feels more open to alternative treatments. Initially, my confidence needed to grow as well. If someone’s body wasn’t ready to heal or they didn’t get the desired results, I took it
very personally and was discouraged for days. I had to learn to “trust the technique” and the innate wisdom in my clients’ bodies. I didn’t feel like a “healer”, but experience and over 500 hours of continuing education helped my confidence grow along with my business. Because Bowenwork is so effective, many of my clients don’t need to see me regularly, so it’s still necessary to continue marketing to new clients, which hasn’t been my strong suit. Thankfully, the work speaks for itself and people share what I do with their friends.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Bridge to Healing ?
I chose to call my clinic Bridge to Healing for two reasons. I cross the North Bend bridge everyday on my way to the office, but more importantly, I act as a bridge between the body and the nervous system. I believe with the right inputs, the body can heal itself. I love helping people experience less pain and feel more ease in their own bodies. It creates a ripple effect that positively influences every aspect of their lives and how they function in the community. I specialize in Bowenwork, which is a series of small precise movements over key points in the body interspersed with rest periods to allow the energy to travel through the fascia (connective tissue) to reset tissue tension and begin healing. I am the only one within a 2 hour drive to offer this unique therapy. Probably my proudest moment was successfully performing the conception protocol for a couple who had been unable to have children. The result was a beautiful baby girl who is now 9 years old! Along with providing hands-on therapy, I offer online breathing workshops and teach introductory Bowenwork courses. I’m really excited about mentoring 2 women in our community who are interested in becoming practitioners. I find sharing my craft very rewarding and it will be wonderful to have someone close by to do Bowenwork on me! Lastly, one of my clients’ favorite things about my office is an in-house therapy dog, a hypo-allergic poodle/terrier named Lucky.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was shy and preferred for my identical twin sister to speak for me. I wanted to know all the rules so I could follow them perfectly and please everyone. ( I understand now that isn’t possible!) I loved animals and participated in 4H horse shows. I was creative, working as a cake decorator at 5 in the morning before high school classes started for the day. While I wasn’t very brave socially, I branched out into adventurous activities in my late teens and early twenties, snowboarding, backpacking, flying & skydiving.
Pricing:
- $95 Initial 1 1/2 hour Session
- $80 Follow-up Sessions
- $140 Couple Sessions
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bridgetohealingbowenwork.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bridgetohealing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bridgetohealing/
